From owner-skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com Tue Sep 16 15:02:46 2008 Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:54:09 -0500 From: skunk-works-digest Reply-To: skunk-works@netwrx1.com To: skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com Subject: skunk-works-digest V15 #19 skunk-works-digest Tuesday, September 16 2008 Volume 15 : Number 019 Index of this digest by subject: *************************************************** Re: skunk-works FWD (U-Tapao) Operation Location-Olive Harvest skunk-works Safe at 'Homey' skunk-works FWD [tlc-brotherhood] CIA BOEING B-17s skunk-works FWD [the-tlc-mission] Air America's Black Helicopter skunk-works Stealth Fighter retires...... Re: skunk-works Stealth Fighter retires...... Re: skunk-works Stealth Fighter retires...... Re: skunk-works Stealth Fighter retires...... Re: skunk-works Stealth Fighter retires...... Re: skunk-works Stealth Fighter retires...... RE: skunk-works Stealth Fighter retires...... Re: skunk-works Stealth Fighter retires...... Re: skunk-works Stealth Fighter retires...... skunk-works Fw: Re: SR-71 Blackbird skunk-works Defense spending [new subj] skunk-works Fw: Re: SR 71 Crash U-Tapao Re: skunk-works Fw: Re: SR 71 Crash U-Tapao skunk-works Trevor Paglan on patches Re: skunk-works Trevor Paglan on patches skunk-works Pulse detonation engine on Fox News skunk-works Kelly Johnson's Book *************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 22:00:44 +0000 From: "John Szalay" Subject: Re: skunk-works FWD (U-Tapao) Operation Location-Olive Harvest - - Original message from Terry Colvin : --- > Formatting is a bit chaotic. > posting a link to the original page by Andreas Gehrs-Pahl http://www.ais.org/~schnars/aero/ol-det.htm ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 01:01:25 -0700 (GMT-07:00) From: Terry Colvin Subject: skunk-works Safe at 'Homey' Army Times - February 4, 2008, p.6 Safe at 'Homey' New name for Area 51 airstrip might refer to secret sorties "Homey Airport" -- reportedly the new official designation for the top-secret Nevada military installation better known as Area 51 -- could have its origins in the annals of top-secret aviation and baseball, one Area 51 enthusiast said. Joerg Arnu, a military aviation bluff, said "Homey Airport" is a term that could have been working its way through records and bureaucracies since the 1960s when CIA pilots first began flying the then-top secret A-12 spy plane, a highly classified version of the supersonic jet that flew from Area 51 and is better known to the public as the SR-71 Blackbird. Because the base near the dry lake bed at Groom Lake, Nev., was so secret, A-12 pilots couldn't even list it on their flight logs, Arnu said, so instead they listed "Home Plate" as their airport of origin, which could later have been shortened to "Homey." In a January 2005 bulletin, Arnu said, aerospace firm Honeywell listed a slew of private airports that had been made compatible with the company's Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System, including a field called "XTA," listed in "Homey, U.S.A." The information in the system listed with that designation coincides exactly with the location of the runways at Area 51. "Homey Airport" and KXTA now appear as the official designations for the Groom Lake base in new editions of flight planning software and civilian aviators' navigation gear, several civilian aviation Web sites have reported. Because of Area 51's longtime role in alien and conspiracy theories, some bloggers have speculated the new three-letter code stands for "extraterrestrial airport." The "K" designation indicates only that the field is in the U.S., according to the Federal Aviation Administration. - --Philip Ewing with Michael Hoffman contributing. Terry W. Colvin Sierra Vista, Arizona ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 20:11:32 -0700 (GMT-07:00) From: Terry Colvin Subject: skunk-works FWD [tlc-brotherhood] CIA BOEING B-17s - -----Forwarded Message----- > >< http://warandgame.wordpress.com/2008/03/03/cia-boeing-b-17s/ > > > >Posted by critcalmass on March 3, 2008 > >< http://warandgame.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/b17ciatop.jpg > > > >By Prof. Dr. Leeker > >CAT Boeing B-17G 44-85531, carrying the >abbreviated serial B^S531B^T (top) and the fake >serial B^S639B^T (bottom), both taken at Clark AFB in >the fall of 1957 by Merle C. Olmsted > >Most people who heard about the aircraft owned or >operated by Air America would say that a Boeing >B-17 had been used at the time of Civil Air >Transport, but that Air America had never had >one. Yet, among the papers preserved at the Air >America Archives at Richardson, there is an >undated list called B^SCAT Incorporated / Air >America Inc.B^T (in: UTD/CIA/B4F6A) that lists key >words concerning the history of CAT and Air >America. Each key word is followed by one or more >dates ranging from 1950 to 1976. The key word >B^SAircraftB^T has several entries, and one of them is > >B^SAccept delivery of Boeing 16 AUG 1960B^T. > >As the Boeing 727s ordered via Air Asia arrived >only in October and November 1966, the Boeing in >question cannot be one of them B^V the different >month even excludes that it is simply a typistB^Rs >error for the year. So this Boeing was most >certainly the B-17G that was to be used on >Project Coldfeet: N809Z no.1, that is Boeing >B-17G 44-85531, c/n 8440. This B-17 was one of >the aircraft formerly operated by Western >Enterprises Inc. of Taiwan. Western Enterprises >had been founded by the CIA in 1951 to funnel >covert American assistance to the Republic of >China. Their activities included airborne >intelligence flights over mainland China as well >as dropping agents, using aircraft and crews of >Civil Air Transport (Conboy / Morrison, The CIAB^Rs >secret war in Tibet, pp.37/8). In 1952, the CIA >also trained 5 Taiwanese pilots and 2 mechanics >in Japan in low-level flights and drop >techniques, and in 1953, this new B^SSpecial >Mission TeamB^T or B^SSpecial Operations UnitB^T was >supplied with 2 B-17s on loan from Western >Enterprises B^V with more to follow (Conboy / >Morrison, The CIAB^Rs secret war in Tibet, >pp.57/8). Between 1954 and 1959, 3 of these B-17s >are known to have been shot down by the PeopleB^Rs >Liberation Army (see: B^SROCAF combat losses since >1950B^T, at: http://www.taiwanairpower.org/shootdowns.html): > >- one over Fujian on 26 May 54 by anti-aircraft artillery, killing 4 crew members > >- one in Jiangxi on 22 June 56 by a PLA MIG-17, killing 11 people aboard > >- B^S835B^T of the 34th Squadron over Guandong on 29 May 59 by a PLA MIG-17PF, killing 14 people aboard. > >In 1957, the workhorse for covert China >overflights from Taiwan still was the B-17. These >CIA aircraft had been stripped of all weapons and >national markings and had been painted black. In >mid-September, one of these Taiwan-based B-17s >was flown to Clark Air Force Base in the >Philippines. Here two Polish five-man crews from >Wiesbaden in Germany B^V code name B^SOstiaryB^T , who >normally flew penetrations of Soviet airspace, >were trained on the aircraft for covert missions >into Tibet. After the training had been >completed, the B-17 was flown to Kadena, Okinawa, >where training was continued with the Tibetan >agents that had to be parachuted into their >country. Two missions into Tibet are known to >have been flown by the B-17: the first one in >early October 57, and the second one in early >November 57, each time staging thru Kurmitola >airfield, East Pakistan, but in 1958 the program >was continued using a C-118A (Conboy / Morrison, >The CIAB^Rs secret war in Tibet, pp.58-65; 71-75). >The aircraft B^V Boeing B-17G 44-85531, c/n 8440 B^V >was sometimes flown as B^S531B^T, but sometimes it >used other, fake tail numbers like B^S639B^T B^V >probably during the missions into Tibet in order >to make the aircraft non-attributable. It was >last flown in December 57 and then put into >storage at Clark where it was photographed in >June 1958 by Merle C. Olmsted. When it remained >at Clark, it carried USAF insignia, probably in >order to avoid attention (e-mail dated 15 >February 2004, kindly sent to the author by Leif >HellstrC6m). Its ultimate fate is unknown, but it >was probably scrapped. Merle C. Olmsted recalls: >B^SAfter it went into storage, I remember we got >orders from USAF to remove the windshield >assembly and other parts, which we did. I assume >they went somewhere to go on another B-l7. I >think the airplane was still there when I left.B^T >(e-mail dated 21 March 2004, kindly sent to the >author by Merle C. Olmsted). The salvage of the >B-17 began in March 58 (removal of windshield and >carburaters), when it had a total of 2,000 hours >on it, and the remains of the aircraft were still >at Clark in October 58 (e-mail dated 26 March >2004, kindly sent to the author by Merle C. Olmsted). > >Nevertheless, this very same aircraft, B-17G >44-85531, was registered to a CIA front called >Atlantic General Enterprises, Washington, DC, as >N809Z (no.1) on 1 September 60, evidently after >having passed thru the hands of Air America, as >mentioned above B^V possibly only a nominal change >of ownership. In May 61, however, Atlantic >General Enterprises changed the identity of B-17G >N809Z from 44-85531 (c/n 8440) to 44-83785, that >is c/n 32426 (Goodall, Warbirds directory, p.27) >B^V probably when it became evident that the former >Tibetan workhorse could no longer be used, and >this second B-17G N809Z (44-83785 c/n 32426) was >to become the first aircraft of the newly founded >Intermountain Aviation, that is the one that was >handed over to former Air America Pilots Connie >Seigrist and Douglas Price on 18 August 1961 >(Leary / LeSchack, Project Coldfeet, pp.119-20). >The origin of N809Z (no. 2) is unknown, but it is >believed to be another survivor of the >Taiwan-based CIA fleet. Probably between May and >August 61, it was modified by Lockheed at Burbank >to be able to carry the Fulton Skyhook recovery >system. Only on 4 October 1962, N809Z (no. 2) was >officially re-registered to Intermountain >Aviation (e-mail dated 25 February 2004, kindly >sent to the author by Leif HellstrC6m), although >its use with Intermountain Aviation during >Project Coldfeet in May / June 1962 is well >described in the excellent book by Leary / >LeSchack. A photo of N809Z with the Fulton >Skyhook system installed can be found at >http://cia.gov/csi/studies/95unclass/104.gif. In >1965, IntermountainB^Rs N809Z even performed in the >James Bond movie Thunderball (Leary / Le Schack, >Project Coldfeet, p. 152). Its subsequent history >is well documented by publications like Aviation >Letter. In July 69, it was converted to fire >tanker, serialled B^S22B^T, B^SC71B^T, and B^SB71B^T and used >as a fire-fighter. On 7 March 73, it was still >present at Marana with Intermountain (Aviation >Letter 77, April 73, p.4), which became part of >Evergreen Helicopters, Marana, AZ, on 1 March 75; >a photo of N809Z in action, taken by Tim Foley at >Carefree, AZ in July 1979, can be seen at >http://www.wildlandfire.com/pics/air/b17.jpg. On >6 March 79, it was re-registered as N207EV >(Goodall, Warbirds directory, p.27). The aircraft >was current with Evergreen at least until 1992, >when it was withdrawn from use and stored. At >that time it was registered to Evergreen Ventures >Inc, who transferred it to Evergreen Vintage >Aircraft Inc., McMinnville, OR, on 29 March 99 >and re-registered it on 21 April 99; it was still >current with them in March 2004 (request >submitted to the FAA on 13 March 2004 at >< http://162.58.35.241/acdatabase/ >< http://162.58.35.241/acdatabase/ >. Terry W. Colvin Sierra Vista, Arizona ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 21:42:06 -0700 (GMT-07:00) From: Terry Colvin Subject: skunk-works FWD [the-tlc-mission] Air America's Black Helicopter - -----Forwarded Message----- > >>From Air and Space Magazine: > >< http://www.airspacemag.com/issues/2008/february-march/the_quiet_one.htm > > >David Gurley Terry W. Colvin Sierra Vista, Arizona ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:49:56 -0400 From: John Subject: skunk-works Stealth Fighter retires...... Apparently the AF doesn't need them any more.... http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123089834 John U-2 & SR-71 web page http://www.blackbirds.net Those who would sacrifice Liberty for Security deserve neither - Benjamin Franklin ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:25:13 +0000 From: "John Szalay" Subject: Re: skunk-works Stealth Fighter retires...... Yes but the "Dragon Lady" is still going strong. http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123089785 other F-117 view http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123089580 And the 100th F-22 has been delivered to the AF as of Aug 22 http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123066644 .. - -------------- Original message from John : -------------- > Apparently the AF doesn't need them any more.... > > > http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123089834 > > John > > > U-2 & SR-71 web page > > http://www.blackbirds.net > > Those who would sacrifice Liberty for Security deserve neither - > Benjamin Franklin ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2008 07:55:25 -0400 From: John Subject: Re: skunk-works Stealth Fighter retires...... On Mar 13, 2008, at 7:25 AM, John Szalay wrote: > Yes but the "Dragon Lady" is still going strong. > > http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123089785 > Yes it is but they're talking about moving up it's retirement too....... John ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:56:56 +0000 From: "John Szalay" Subject: Re: skunk-works Stealth Fighter retires...... Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of good vintage aircraft are on the books as being replaced soon.. p-3 subhunters for P-8A Poseidons http://starbulletin.com/2008/03/09/news/story08.html - -------------- Original message from John : -------------- > On Mar 13, 2008, at 7:25 AM, John Szalay wrote: > > > Yes but the "Dragon Lady" is still going strong. > > > > http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123089785 > > > > Yes it is but they're talking about moving up it's retirement too....... > > > John ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:57:22 -0500 From: Sam Wiltzius Subject: Re: skunk-works Stealth Fighter retires...... Thanks guys for posting all these links. It is sad to see all this history be retired. Hope the new replacements will have as long and proud of a history when it is their time to be retired. Sam On Mar 13, 2008, at 9:56 AM, John Szalay wrote: > Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of good vintage aircraft are on the > books as being replaced soon.. > > p-3 subhunters for P-8A Poseidons > > http://starbulletin.com/2008/03/09/news/story08.html > > > -------------- Original message from John : > -------------- > > >> On Mar 13, 2008, at 7:25 AM, John Szalay wrote: >> >>> Yes but the "Dragon Lady" is still going strong. >>> >>> http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123089785 >>> >> >> Yes it is but they're talking about moving up it's retirement >> too....... >> >> >> John ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:58:40 -0700 From: Patrick Subject: Re: skunk-works Stealth Fighter retires...... Sam Wiltzius wrote: > Thanks guys for posting all these links. It is sad to see all this > history be retired. Hope the new replacements will have as long and > proud of a history when it is their time to be retired. Since we are looking at the tail end of some other programs now might be an interesting time to discuss current information or theories on the "Aurora", the TR-3A, the Artichoke or that giant dark slow moving air ship thing. Did they every fly? ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2008 07:13:43 -0000 From: "Hill, Robin \(UK\)" Subject: RE: skunk-works Stealth Fighter retires...... Sadly, a lot of these fine machines are being slowly replaced by robots. It's difficult to get all misty-eyed about a tin box full of circuit boards. Heck, they're even using glorified playstation controllers to pilot UAVs these days. And I can't see many of the secrets of these birds being cast to the winds - a lot of the technology they use is still good for the new crop of black machines. Robin Hill, STEAMY BESS, Brough, East Yorkshire ******************************************************************** This email and any attachments are confidential to the intended recipient and may also be privileged. If you are not the intended recipient please delete it from your system and notify the sender. You should not copy it or use it for any purpose nor disclose or distribute its contents to any other person. ******************************************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2008 21:13:07 +1100 From: miltech.fms Subject: Re: skunk-works Stealth Fighter retires...... there are certainly a few black UAV programs being run out of Woomera here in Australia. (as I imagine some of you are well aware) On 14/03/2008, Hill, Robin (UK) wrote: > > Sadly, a lot of these fine machines are being slowly replaced by robots. > It's difficult to get all misty-eyed about a tin box full of circuit > boards. Heck, they're even using glorified playstation controllers to > pilot UAVs these days. > > And I can't see many of the secrets of these birds being cast to the > winds - a lot of the technology they use is still good for the new crop > of black machines. > > Robin Hill, STEAMY BESS, Brough, East Yorkshire > > ******************************************************************** > This email and any attachments are confidential to the intended > recipient and may also be privileged. If you are not the intended > recipient please delete it from your system and notify the sender. > You should not copy it or use it for any purpose nor disclose or > distribute its contents to any other person. > ******************************************************************** > - -- Gary Fairlie FMS Military Technologies PO Box 146 Daw Park PO Sth Australia Australia. 5041 Mobile/Cell/Handy: +61 (0)412 688 883 This document is regarded as privileged and commercially confidential. As such it forms the basis of foundation for a non disclosure document pending a vehicle of continuance. It may not be distributed, duplicated, electronically copied, re-transmitted or facsimiled without the express permission of the original sender. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2008 10:53:15 -0000 From: "David" Subject: Re: skunk-works Stealth Fighter retires...... - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Hill, Robin (UK)" To: Sent: Friday, March 14, 2008 7:13 AM Subject: RE: skunk-works Stealth Fighter retires...... > Sadly, a lot of these fine machines are being slowly replaced by robots. > It's difficult to get all misty-eyed about a tin box full of circuit > boards. Heck, they're even using glorified playstation controllers to > pilot UAVs these days. > > And I can't see many of the secrets of these birds being cast to the > winds - a lot of the technology they use is still good for the new crop > of black machines. > > Robin Hill, STEAMY BESS, Brough, East Yorkshire Involved people I've spoken with over the years are concerned that UAVs/UCAVs are becoming increasingly complex - which drives up their acquisition, maintenance and operating costs. The original concept of keeping pilots out of harm's way during strikes and recon. on highly defended targets by using relatively inexpensive unmanned weapons system was an excellent one. However, as R&D/acquisition /operating costs soar for these large UAV/UCAV's, significant component of their appeal (i.e cost reduction) is lost, whilst the appeal of cheap, simple MAVs and micro-sensors- especially in the tactical recon and target spotting roles would appear to be much stronger. Talking of black projects, I recall some years back reading a piece in AW&ST in which a senior USAF officer (a General IIRC) was furious that the 'spooks' were telling him during the Gulf War that they had a classified system that would help him win battles - naturally, he wanted to know more, but was told that he needed a higher security clearance before they could tell him. His concern was that a growing generation of SAP weapons systems programs were begetting even more highly classified systems which weren't making their way into the inventory - and so their capability to save lives and improve war-fighting capacity was being lost. David ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2008 03:14:45 -0400 (EDT) From: Terry Colvin Subject: skunk-works Fw: Re: SR-71 Blackbird - -----Forwarded Message----- >> Till my dieing day, I will never forget the honor and privilege I had to >be able to work on the SR-71. During my short time in the Air force. >Here is a video I watch from time to time about the SR-71 in Okinawa. Brings >back so many memories for me every time I watch it. >> >> ** >< http://www.wvi.com/~sr71webmaster/BB_Operational.wmv > >> >> Duncan Cunningham >> Blackbird sparky Feb 71-July73 >> UT 73-74 Terry W. Colvin Sierra Vista, Arizona ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2008 12:32:57 -0700 (GMT-07:00) From: Terry Colvin Subject: skunk-works Defense spending [new subj] 4/09/96 Byron said: > >....and, I actually read it all, in addition to Eric's and >Robert's posts. Is this the final backlash to the low >productivity and declining real incomes brought about by >Keynesian macroeconomics, a situation in which our >possessions possess us? Anyone have a realistic estimate >on the billions worth of warehoused, half used, >technologically outdated, maintanence demanding military >hardware laying around? Isnt there some way to sell the >unused assets, even at half the depreciated price, to help >finance future procurements? Whose fault is this, anyhow, >that we have to spend roughly the same amount of money now, >as we did in 1990, with less than half the purchasing power? Macroeconomics is a bit off charter, but here is some additional information. First, we aren't spending anywhere near roughly the same amount of money on weapon systems that we did a few years ago. At the height of the Reagan buildup (in 1985), DoD had about $180B on R&D and procurement budget authority. In FY96, DoD had about $73.7B in BA in the same two categories (all numbers in FY96$). O&M BA during the same period declined from $109.3B to $91.9B, so it was declining too. The problem with selling old assets to buy new ones is that the old ones are usually worn out by the time they are replaced, so they have little salvage value. In fact, most of our current military equipment is not being procured at below replacement rate, so force size is declining and average aircraft (or whatever) age is increasing dramatically. Among the relevant issues: real cost of equipment is steadily increasing while real budget authority is decreasing; development cycle time for new systems is long and getting longer, so equipment is nearing obsolescence when it is introduced, meaning that more money has to [be] poured into it for modernization; The newer equipment is more expensive to maintain, so O&M costs (per unit) are increasing steadily over time. All this means that a given force structure is becoming more and more expensive to maintain over time. DoD tends to look for "silver bullets" to overcome this basic algebra (i.e., force multipliers like stealth, information technologies, etc.), but of course, silver costs more than lead. Eric, speaking for myself Terry W. Colvin Sierra Vista, Arizona ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2008 23:25:59 -0400 (EDT) From: Terry Colvin Subject: skunk-works Fw: Re: SR 71 Crash U-Tapao Andreas or anyone, What are the details of this SR-71 crash in Thailand, specifically the exact location and nearest major town? Terry - -----Forwarded Message----- > >--- In U-Tapao@yahoogroups.com, Michael Weldon wrote: > > >Carl, > > Considering security concerns and the importance of the SR-71, I >would expect that personnel from the nearest US facility would be >dispatched to guard and retreive the wreckage.... > > My thought was that if it had crashed near Korat, then Korat troops >would have been assigned to guard and recover the wreckage. >Likewise, if it had crashed between Korat and U-Tapao, then troops >from Don Muang would have been sent. Farther East and Ubon personnel >would have done the job. > > So, one might assume the crash was nearer U-Tapao than either >Bangkok or Korat, but the report specifically states 'near >Korat'....HMMM > > Why the discrepancy..?? > > Was the crash actually nearer U-T, but in order to maintain >security, the location was misidentified..?? > > Do you remember which direction the truck headed. When leaving U- >Tapao, did it turn left or right. How soon did it turn again and in >which direction..?? How long was the trip..?? > - Michael Weldon - - Udon Thani, Thailand - ------------------------- >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >Re: SR 71 Crash U-Tapao >Posted by: "Carl Harper" hobycop@... hobycop >Sat Apr 26, 2008 12:21 pm (PDT) >We went out in the morning and were driven back at night. It most >definitely could not have been anywhere buy U-Tapao area.Carl Harper-- >--- Original Message ----- From: Michael Weldon To: u- >tapao@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 10:34 PMSubject: >[U-Tapao] Re: SR 71 Crash U-TapaoFrank,Then, from your description, I >presume the crash site was much closer to U-Tapao than to Korat, as >stated in the official report..?? Terry W. Colvin Sierra Vista, Arizona ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:22:09 +0000 From: "John Szalay" Subject: Re: skunk-works Fw: Re: SR 71 Crash U-Tapao - --------- Original message from Terry Colvin : -------------- > Andreas or anyone, > > What are the details of this SR-71 crash in Thailand, specifically the > exact location and nearest major town? > > Terry > > One of the things I found is : The crew were rescued near U Tapao, Thailand. The plane crashed near Korat RTAFB, Thailand. Distance between bases is approx. 171 miles. also found that this Col. investigated all the Sled incidents during that time period perhaps he can provide answers. ================================================================================== Colonel Donald R. James Writes: Stationed at Beale AFB from 1965-1971. Was the only Wing Director of Safety during that period. Investigated and reported every SR-71 accident/incident which occurred during that period and a few more. Was one very busy individual! I will always regret that I never got to fly the SR-71, but that honor was reserved for some of the greatest people in the world. Fly Safe! Colonel Donald R. James Email: hhshot@msn.com =================================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 May 2008 12:56:23 -0700 From: Joy Cohn Subject: skunk-works Trevor Paglan on patches I found this interesting - it's an audio/slide show where Paglan explains the meanings of some of the patches in his collection. Enjoy ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 May 2008 05:45:12 +0100 From: Mark Rousell Subject: Re: skunk-works Trevor Paglan on patches Many thanks - this was extremely interesting, especially the manta ray patch. Joy Cohn wrote: > I found this interesting - it's an audio/slide show where Paglan explains > the meanings of some of the patches in his collection. > > > > Enjoy > > - -- MarkR ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:38:11 +0100 From: Mark Rousell Subject: skunk-works Pulse detonation engine on Fox News A slightly garbled account (complete with borrowed YouTube video) about a USAF pulse detonation engine hypersonic aircraft. The aircraft is known as 'Blackswift'. There's a 2009 budget request for $750M to fund research. Includes an interview with Ken Christensen of NASA. For the video see: http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=1791927&referralPlaylistId=e059f7416cd3e6a978256d927c7bb152d9988581 or http://tinyurl.com/5u8qnx Apologies if this is old news - I don't always seem to receive all the messages on this list (few and far between though they are). - -- MarkR ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:53:29 -0500 From: Edmond Subject: skunk-works Kelly Johnson's Book Anyone happen to know where I can find a copy of Kelly Johnson's Biography? Can't seem to locate it anywhere! Thanks! ------------------------------ End of skunk-works-digest V15 #19 ********************************* To subscribe to skunk-works-digest, send the command: subscribe skunk-works-digest in the body of a message to "majordomo@netwrx1.com". 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